Hello everyone!
I’ve been doing Medieval Literature for the past couple of weeks and just finished my essay on Medieval Drama. The reason why this is interesting is that this was all about none other than JESUS. Heehee. I was sharing with my cell that medieval England was dominated by the practise of Catholicism and so even their literature was meant for devotion and worship and sometimes plays even formed part of their celebration of the mass as they were often written by the clergy and religious. So in line with all this, I thought I’d share a couple of poems that I was reading. The language is a little different so.. persevere! heehee.
Ye that pasen by the weye,
Abidet a little stounde.* [while]
Beholdet, all my felawes,
Yif* any me lik is founde. [if]
To the tre with nailes thre
Wol* fast I hange bounde; [very]
With a spere all thoru my side
To mine herte is made a wounde.
Now gooth sunne under wode:
Me reweth,* Marye, thy faire rode.* [I pity] [face]
Now gooth sunne under tree:
Me reweth, Marye, thy sone and thee.
One of the more interesting things we were taught to look for was how much of medieval poetry was performed (yes, performed) from the perspective of Jesus or Mary or some other religious figure. Most of them give a very intimate presentation of the feelings of these figures and help us to empathise with them more. This was the bit I found most meaningful and worth reflecting on.
Bible stories are often told in third person, save bits of dialogue. But many of these poems bring the bible to life and that, I feel, provides a new perspective for reflection.
Hope this gives you something to think about this week and talk to me if you wanna know more because there’s lots that interests me that I would love to share! 🙂
❤ Alex
Leaven Of God 